Tyler Zielinski visits Raffles London's 'other' cocktail venue - Spy Bar.
It’s a suspenseful journey from the lobby of Raffles London at the Old War Office to the subterranean Spy Bar.
A space that was once high-security storage for identity papers and mission reports of MI6 agents in the 20th century is now a top-secret cocktail lounge dedicated to its historic occupants; and, fittingly, no photos are allowed.
Beyond the door labelled 007 is a host waiting to put a Spy Bar sticker over your phone camera, and the sense of relief it provides – technological deprivation is the new luxury – is as pleasurable as the bar’s icy Vesper augmented with London honey distillate.
The red-velvet banquettes are tempting for a date night, but when the back bar boasts a wall-mounted Aston Martin DB5 from No Time to Die, sit at the bar.
Taste the Stinger– a Hanky Panky twist flavoured with some After Eight chocolate– listen to the spies (bartenders) tell stories about Bond and espionage, and just be present, because it’s one of the few places in London that encourages it.